World Remembrance Day for road traffic victims

Sunday November 15, 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims internationally and the 10th anniversary of its adoption by the United Nations. Please join us in remembering the many millions killed and injured on the world’s roads, together with their families and friends who have been affected. It is also a day to thank the emergency services for their dedication saving lives in such situations.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Global NGO Alliance choose a theme for each year, based on actions proposed in the Global Plan for the Decade. The theme for 2015 is ‘It’s time to remember – say no to road crime!’ The aim is to improve road users’ behaviour and enforcement of laws through public awareness and education; reducing speeding, drink-driving and other dangerous behaviours, while ensuring safety precautions such as seat belts and helmets are adhered to.

The importance of such a day is demonstrated in the staggering figures that each year nearly 1.3 million people die as a result of a road traffic collision, meaning there are more than 3,000 deaths each day, with over half of these being pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users. Twenty to fifty million more people sustain non-fatal injuries from a collision, and these injuries are a cause of disability worldwide.

Each year, millions of newly injured and bereaved people from every corner of the world are added to the countless millions already suffering as the result of a road traffic accident. For those involved and their family and friends affected, this day offers an opportunity to come together for remembrance services and flower-laying ceremonies held in memory of victims around the world.

The key message for the day is to ‘Remember and Reflect, Remember and Respond’ as the day provides an opportunity to increase the world’s awareness of road traffic accidents, their consequences and costs, and the measures which can be taken to prevent them. The day also provides an opportunity to remind governments and society of their responsibility to make roads safer.

As a road user, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of an accident and improve safety for other road users:

Worldwide, each day 170 cyclists lose their lives in a traffic incident and many more are injured. The number of cyclists getting injured varies per region and country, but overall 5% of the fatal road traffic incidents involve a cyclist.